Pakistan seals off Islamabad ahead of PTI protests; anti-terror body warns of militant threat
A police vehicle dispersing PTI protesters in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Photograph:( Reuters )
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In an effort to suppress the rally, authorities have deployed security forces, banned public gatherings, blocked roads in Islamabad and Rawalpindi using shipping containers, and launched a crackdown on opposition leaders and workers.
In an effort to suppress the rally, authorities have deployed security forces, banned public gatherings, blocked roads in Islamabad and Rawalpindi using shipping containers, and launched a crackdown on opposition leaders and workers.
Pakistani authorities have closed national highways and motorways nationwide in anticipation of a protest rally organised by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party in Islamabad on Sunday (Nov 24). The demonstration is being held in support of former prime minister Imran Khan, who has been imprisoned for over a year. PTI claims the charges against him are politically motivated.
The protest also aims to point out alleged interference in the February general elections and to demand measures to safeguard judicial independence, which the party claims has been undermined by the 26th Constitutional Amendment. The government has denied these allegations.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's administration has pledged to take strict action to prevent the PTI’s protest and warned that participants risk arrest. In an effort to suppress the rally, authorities have deployed security forces, banned public gatherings, blocked roads in Islamabad and Rawalpindi using shipping containers, and launched a crackdown on opposition leaders and workers.
Also read: Imran Khan’s PTI tones down Nov 24 protests as authorities lock down Islamabad
Police reported the deployment of 6,325 Islamabad police officers, supported by 21,500 personnel from other forces. This includes 5,000 Rangers, 5,500 Frontier Constabulary officers, 9,000 Punjab police officers, and 2,000 Sindh police personnel, all tasked with preventing PTI supporters from entering the capital.
Pakistan's anti-terror body warns of militant threat ahead of PTI protest in Islamabad
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) has issued a warning about potential militant attacks targeting the PTI rally. In a classified alert shared earlier in the week, NACTA indicated that members of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) had crossed into Pakistan from Afghanistan and infiltrated key cities.
The alert, issued on Thursday but reported in the media on Saturday, was based on intelligence from "multiple sources" regarding threats to the protest march.
(With inputs from agencies)
